Ningen no Kemono
by Sora22302
Summary: "It's funny, looking back on it now. In my mind there were really only two options. Am I human? Or am I a wolf? I never stopped to consider that maybe it was okay to be both." Yuki grew up as a human and finished high school. Now, at 20 years old, she has moved to Shibuya to start college, only to stumble upon a world she never knew existed.
1. Prologue

Prologue.

When I was little, my mother always wanted the best for my brother and I. After our father died, she did everything she could to keep us safe. And when the time came, she let us choose our own path through life.

You see, my brother and I were born a little different than most. But, you've heard that story before, haven't you?

When I was still young, Ame made the decision to stay in the forest outside of our childhood home.

I decided to go to school and continue living as a human.

Now and again I miss how things used to be. I miss living with my family and being too young to really know who-or what-I wanted to be.

Yet I've never regretted my decision. I don't think I'd have grown to be the person I am if I'd never met all the humans I know today.

Thinking back on it now is a little funny.

In my mind, there were only two options.

Am I human?

Or am I a wolf?

I never stopped to consider that maybe,

it was okay to be both.

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A/N So this is the prologue, and obviously, the chapters will be much longer. I'll do my best to upload chapters asap. I noticed that there's hardly any fanfiction for the Boy and the Beast, so I wanted to do something to help its poor fans who have nothing to read.


	2. Chapter 1: Lost

"I'll be fine mom. Yes, I have everything. Yes, the map is in my bag. Of course I have an umbrella. I can't call you again until they set up my phone tomorrow. I know, I know. You worry too much. I know. I love you too. Say hi to dad for me. Bye."

I sighed lightly as I put the payphone back in its place. It was my first day in Shibuya since picking out my apartment four months ago. I'd thought waiting to move was a smart idea for financial reasons, but now, looking at the rain pouring a foot away from me, I was beginning to have my doubts.

I picked up the duffel bag sitting at my feet. It held the few necessities I'd need until the moving van would be able to make it to my new home. I opened my pink umbrella before stepping out of the small shelter that surrounded the phone and onto the wet sidewalk. I stopped at a crosswalk close by and unzipped the duffel's outer pocket as I waited for the light to change to walk. "I cross here..." I opened the sheet of paper that had my directions on it. "Left here, and..." A large truck zoomed by and hit the puddle of water in front of me.

I lifted my directions just in time to avoid it getting soaked, but the lower half of me wasn't so lucky. The bottom half of my skirt was sticking to me, which wouldn't have been so bad if I knew that I could change into something dry when I got home...but my bag was now drenched too.

"Today is not my day." I mumbled to myself as I crossed the street. Soon after I ended up ducking under a shop's canopy. The front of the shop was wide open, but a drain nearby kept the inside from getting too wet. To the sides I could see the edges of sliding doors that were probably used when it was time to close for the night. An employee with her hair pulled into a ponytail bounced over to me. She looked to be a year or two younger than me, with a cheerful smile. "Oh, you poor thing. How did you get so wet even with an umbrella?"

I returned her smile with a half-hearted one of my own. "It just seems to be my luck today."

I placed my umbrella in a stand near the entrance so the floor didn't end up wet. I looked at my bag. Not only was it wet, but I was sure the store wouldn't appreciate me dragging it near the merchandise. "Um...can I leave this here for a bit?" I gestured to a spot near the umbrella stand.

The girl seemed surprised. "Of course. Are you here to shop? I thought you were just ducking out of the rain for a bit."

"Well," I looked down at my skirt and bag. "All of my things ended up covered in water, so I thought I'd buy something to change into and something dry to sleep in tonight."

The shop-girl looked at the bag. "Oh no. That's all you have? Feel free to grab anything you need."

I was confused as to what the expression on her face was, but when I placed it as sympathy, I quickly shook my head. "No no, it's not everything I have. It's just all I have access to right now. I'm in the middle of moving."

She seemed to cheer up at that. "Oh! Are you close by?"

I answered her as I started browsing through a garment rack. "I'm...actually, I'm not really sure. It's harder to navigate in the rain than you'd think it would be. It's an apartment complex off of Tomigaya Street."

"Tomigaya? Why, you're almost there. Looks like your luck is turning around."

I hm'd in response. "I sure hope so. It hasn't been a very promising start to university life so far."

The girl went to the counter and dug around for something I couldn't see. "So you're a student? Are you going to the University of Tokyo? I know the Komaba campus is nearby." She pulled out a box of items and started to tag them as we spoke.

I gave my head a light shake. "No, I've just enrolled in Tokai University." She gave a nod as though that were acceptable, and I brought the clothes I'd picked to the counter as I fished out my wallet. I was careful to set them away from what she was tagging.

"I've got a couple of regular customers who'll start there this semester too. Actually, I think one of them lives off Tomigaya too." She scanned the items and handed them back to me, accurately guessing which ones I wanted to wear out of the store. She bagged the rest and tied it so the rain wouldn't make it through. I paid, and she pointed me in the direction of the fitting room.

I glanced back at my duffel bag, wondering if I really wanted to leave it unattended with the luck I was having today. The shop-girl noticed and laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I'll keep it safe."

I smiled at her. "Thank you." I bowed to her appropriately and retreated to the fitting room.

About halfway into changing, I heard the girl greet more customers as they came in. "Ah, Hirose-san, Sometani-san, welcome! Oh, be caref-" I heard a thud followed by some girlish laughter that didn't sound like the employees. "Eh?" The shop-girl continued. "How can you be as cool as you are and be tripped by a bag?"

I frowned deeply and popped part way out from behind the changing rooms curtain. "If my bag is broken, I'll-" I paused as I realized the three others in the shop-the employee and the two newcomers, a girl and a very tall boy-were definitely staring at me. For a moment I thought it was due to my outburst, but after a very long second I realized it was because more of me appeared from the curtain than it should have. I quickly hid myself. How could I do something so embarrassing?

After scolding myself, I considered hiding there until the other customers left, but in the end the need to make it home before it got too late won out. I finished changing and approached my bag to put away the wet clothes, realizing with dismay that the two people from before were still near it. The girl approached me and knelt down with me as I crouched to put away my items. "We're sorry about...before." She had a slightly sympathetic tone that told me she definitely meant about the curtain and not about knocking the bag over.

I could feel my cheeks heat up, but I chose to ignore it as I zipped the bag up and stood. "It's alright. It was already soaked anyway."

The shop-girl smiled at me apologetically. "I really was keeping an eye on it. I just couldn't keep Sometani-san from knocking it over." She gestured to the tall boy from before. He was dressed in a white button-up shirt that might have given him a professional look, if it weren't for the mess of shaggy black hair on his head. The sheepish look he gave as he glanced my way reminded me a little of Sohei, and I gave him a smile to show I didn't mind. He gave me a lopsided smile in return that said maybe he wasn't comfortable around strangers.

After a moment I turned my gaze back to the girl. She was an inch or so shorter than I was, with her brown hair cropped short. She wore a navy blazer with a knee length pleated skirt of the same color. Beneath the blazer was a collared white shirt, but unlike her companion, it was button-less. I assumed she was Hirose.

My new outfit matched hers fairly well. I'd chosen a skirt the same shade and length as hers, and I found myself wondering if she bought hers here too. I'd forgone the matching blazer in favor of a sky blue sweater, since it was a little chilly outside. "Oh!" The shop-girl startled me from my observations. "These are the two I was telling you about!" She looked to Hirose. "This is...oh." She turned her gaze back to me. "I didn't get your name."

I bowed to the three of them. "Miyazaki Yuki. It's nice to meet you."

The boy stiffly copied my bow, and I found myself wondering how often he introduced himself. "Ren."

I waited a moment for him to continue, but when he didn't I decided it couldn't be very often. I wondered how the employee managed to get his last name.

The girl in turn bowed with practiced grace. "Hirose Kaede. Please, call me Kaede."

I nodded at them. "Kaede-san, Ren-san," I looked to the girl at the counter and she smiled.

"Chiba Ayame." She turned her attention back to Kaede. "Miyazaki-san is moving in near Tomigaya and will be going to school with you guys. She's had a rough day so far, so be nice to her, okay?" She winked at me. How can someone act so informal but still be respectful? The look Ren was giving Ayame told me he might be thinking the same thing.

Kaede nodded in response to Ayame. "Of course." She turned to me. "Ren has to pick up a few things, but we'll be heading to his apartment soon after. Do you want to come with us?"

I was a little taken aback at her casual use of his name, but it quickly dawned on me that they must be a couple. "I'd love to." I didn't know many people yet, and it seemed as good a time as any to try and make friends.

Soon I found myself walking with them from store front to store front. A part of me hoped I wasn't interrupting a date, but I assured myself that no one would go on a date in this weather. At one store, Ren asked Kaede and I to wait at the entrance while he grabbed what he needed. Well, it was more of a command, but the lack of reaction on his part told me he had no idea that it was rude. The lack of reaction on Kaede's end, however, told me this probably happened often. "Kaede-san?"

"Hm?" She looked to me. "You don't have to do that, really. I'm used to going by my given name only." She looked at the shocked expression on my face and laughed lightly. "I know, it's unusual. But Ren grew up in a place where no one went by their family name. So its been hard on him, getting used to some of the things we do here." She smiled fondly in the direction Ren was shopping, and it was easy to see the two were very close. "Oh, you had something to say, didn't you?"

"Actually," I started, "You answered my question...but now there's something else I'm curious about."

"Oh?"

"Well I thought...but since you ask everyone to call you by name..." I hesitated, unsure how to phrase my question without seeming nosy.

But it seemed I didn't have to. Kaede blushed softly. "We are. We started dating very recently." I nodded in understanding, but she wasn't finished. "But I don't ask everyone to call me Kaede. Just people I know will be good friends." She smiled in a teasing way that didn't quite fit on her innocent seeming face. "So, can I call you by name too?"

I laughed lightly. "I guess it would be weird to be the only one that didn't, hanging around you guys."

She smiled back at me, and Ren chose that moment to rejoin us. "Looks like it's time to get going, Yuki."

Despite giving her permission, I blushed. But I'd made new friends already, and that was all that really mattered.

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A/N So here is the first official chapter.

Some notes: Both schools mentioned here are actual schools in Shibuya.  
Ayame is sort of an OC, sort of not an OC. She was meant to be the shopkeeper that talks to Ren's father in the movie, but she remained unnamed, so I named her. Don't worry, she won't have a huge role.  
This takes place after the end of both movies. Several years after Wolf Children, but almost directly after the Boy and the Beast. Because of this, I decided Ren wouldn't be super accustomed to the formalities that were largely absent in his childhood. Since we don't get to see a lot of things, I am taking a few liberties, but it _is_ fiction.  
Ayame is a year or two younger than our protagonist, but because she is currently at work, I chose to have her refer to every customer with -san. This goes for ones she doesn't know the name of as well. Sir, Ma'am, customer-san. XD

This will be a slowgoing fanfic, but you'll see Jutengai eventually, I promise. I also apologize because Kyuta/Ren is not actually going to have a huge role.


	3. Chapter 2: Empathy

The first night in my new apartment told me my mother and I had similar house-choosing skills. The apartment was decent in size, but was in rough shape.

The walls of most of the rooms needed the paint redone, and in some spots there were cracks, probably from a mix of earthquakes and the foundation settling. The kitchen was bigger than most apartments would expect, but its counters were thick with dust and one of the cabinet doors had been knocked off its hinges.

The bathroom was in better shape, but clearly hadn't been cleaned in a while. I dropped my wet bag into the bathtub. _I wonder if they just gave up on this apartment?_

Though I had seen the discarded home once before, I had thought getting it for so cheap in a busy city like Shibuya-with permission to fix it up-was a dream come true. Sure, it would take some time to get everything the way I wanted, but it was an adventure; something fun to do between studying and trying to earn money.

Only now, cloaked in the rain and moonlight, it just seemed sad.

 _This is my life right now._ And somehow the finality of it caught up to me. This was Shibuya. Miles and miles away from my childhood home, away from my childhood friends, away from the childhood comfort brought by my mother.

I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. _You've done this before, Yuki. This isn't the first time you've moved for school._ But it was the first time I wasn't living at the school I was attending. _But you have to look at the bright side._ The apartment could, and should, be fun to fix. _And everyone I've met today has been nice._

After composing myself, I walked to a short hallway that led to the two bedrooms of the apartment. One was smaller and clearly meant for children, and one was meant for the parents of a family.

I walked into the bigger room and sighed. The floor was covered in dust. My blanket was in my bag, and definitely in no condition to sleep under, and it was going to be chilly. A glance out the window determined that the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and with it was the cold wind rattling against the glass. I wished I'd thought about this when I bought clothes.

 _Maybe I should stay at a hotel tonight._ After a moment, I shook my head in dismissal. _No, you can't do that. It's too late to go anywhere, and you don't have a job here yet. You only have so much in savings. It might be a rough night, but it'll be fine._

I couldn't bring myself to remove my sweater, so instead I arranged the night clothes I'd purchased from Ayame into a make-shift pallet on the floor. This was both to protect myself from any dirt, and to keep off of the cold wooden floor. I fought to get comfortable for some time, but eventually gave up and curled into a tight ball.

 _Fur would be a lot warmer._

But humans don't have fur.

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When I woke it was still in the early hours of the morning. I was still a little tired, but after a restless night I was ready to be up and about. I stood and picked up the clothes on the floor before straightening my outfit. I went to the bathroom and left the clothes on the edge of the sink before prying open my bag, which was still damp. The clothes inside were in worse shape. Aside from being wet, they were also starting to smell and would need to be washed again. Unfortunately, I didn't have the soap for that at the moment. Fortunately, if the movers were on time, I wouldn't have to worry about it for longer than the day.

Taking all of the clothes and my blanket out of the bag, I set them to one side of the tub and grabbed what I'd actually set out to find: my toothbrush. Well, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a hairbrush.

My toothbrush was purple with pink bristles, and was luckily saved from the rain by the plastic bag it had been sealed in. The typical tube of toothpaste was still closed despite the beating my bag had taken, but it was about half gone and I realized I'd have to buy more soon.

My hairbrush, regrettably, had not been saved at all. Its red spine was damp and sticky, a combination of the rain water and leftover hair product. I frowned at it and removed a not-quite-dry ponytail holder from around its handle before setting the brush on top of the damp clothes.

Rather than risk my hair turning into the consistency on the hairbrush, I combed my fingers through it and pulled it up. I didn't wear it up often, but I knew I had a long day ahead of me. After taking care of the rest of the morning hygiene the best I could, I nodded to myself in the mirror. _Today is going to be a better day._

The rest of the morning was spent buying cleaning supplies. I didn't know for sure when the moving truck was going to arrive, but I didn't want to waste time. I needed to go job hunting too, but I decided to wait until I could look a little more presentable.

By mid-afternoon the bathroom and the kitchen had been scrubbed clean, but I didn't grab supplies to fix the cabinet door. I'd just have to pick that up some other time.

I went to the front door and stared down the hall, trying to decide what to clean next. The living area was still a mess and the bedrooms needed a thorough scrubbing, but in the end I decided it should be the bedroom I'm using to get the cleansing treatment next. At least if the living room was dirty I wouldn't be sleeping there, and it wasn't like I planned on having any guests.

I hadn't taken one step forward when a knock hit the door. I jumped, startled, but I turned around to open it anyway. _Of course the truck would come before I finish cleaning._

But when I opened the door, the two people standing outside of it were definitely not movers.

It was Ren and Kaede.

Kaede smiled at me brightly. "It looks like you've been working hard."

For a moment I was confused. From where she was standing surely all she could see was the uncleaned living room. However, the confusion faded when I looked myself over and saw my semi-tousled outfit was now covered in dust from cleaning. I could feel my cheeks start to burn and I laughed nervously. I was even more embarrassed when I realized that my outfit, underneath the grime and dirt, was the same one they'd seen me in the day before. "The moving truck hasn't come yet, so I've been cleaning all I can."

Kaede nodded. "I figured as much," She started, "after you told me the state of your apartment yesterday, I knew you'd be busy. So busy, that you'd probably forget to eat lunch."

I blinked as my stomach growled in response. To my horror, it was very audible. Ren smiled at this and held up a plastic bag. "So we brought you food."

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Even after trying to convince them my house was in such disarray that they would probably puke from trying to eat inside; we still ended up on a blanket on the kitchen floor. Kaede had brought the blanket just for the occasion, and the meal they brought was less of a meal and more of a mix and match of items from the convenience store.

Despite this, I was still grateful to them for going through all the trouble. The meal passed quickly, but the chatter didn't stop with it.

Ren, who I'd come to think of as a quiet-if-not-awkward man, relaxed immensely as the meal went on, and by the time the food was gone he was speaking and laughing as much as Kaede. I wasn't sure if the change in him was due to him being more comfortable around me, or if it was just the affect Kaede had on him. Regardless, it was nice.

Kaede seemed to make me feel more comfortable as well, and she told me a little about her home life. Although she didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it, she still seemed happy. After a little time had passed, she looked to me curiously. "So where are you from, Yuki?" Ren looked over, clearly also curious, but not in a prying way.

I smiled lightly at them. "I grew up on a farm in a small town. It's very beautiful, but it's pretty far from here."

"You were a _farm_ girl?" Ren couldn't quite keep the surprise out of his voice, and for once, I was the one who started laughing while the other party blushed.

I gave a light shake of my head as I stopped laughing, though my smile remained. "Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. I know it's hard to believe. Honestly though, I didn't do much of the work. I helped out when I was small, but when I got a little older my mother did most of it while I focused on school. Ame helped her for a while too, but now that we've both moved out, she still keeps it going the best she can."

"Ame?"

"The best she can?"

Ren and Kaede asked at the same time, and then they both looked at each other as though trying to decide which question deserved an answer first. I decided for them. "My mother has always made a lot more than we actually need. She's in good health, but keeping it up is hard work. I'm not worried though. The farming keeps her strong."

Ren gave a nod of approval before asking once more, "Ame?"

I took a small sip of water from a bottle they brought as I stalled for time. Sometimes it was difficult to explain anything regarding him without revealing the truth. When I finished I looked at them both. "Ame is my little brother. He didn't enjoy school like I did, and it wasn't required for him to attend, so most of the time he just stayed home with my mother. He was more at home surrounded by nature than surrounded by people."

I unintentionally sighed. I missed Ame, and I knew there were so many things left unspoken. After a pause that was probably a little too lengthy I continued, "We're still quite the opposites, and I haven't seen him in years. We didn't part on the best terms." I realized too late that maybe that was opening up far too much to people I'd just met a day prior, but it had been a long time since anyone had asked me about Ame. Though, maybe that was because my friends knew it was still a tender subject.

Despite this, Kaede's gaze softened lightly, in a show of sympathy, and after a moment of clearly debating, she spoke again. "Do you…want to talk about it?"

I went quiet, but after what felt like eternity to me, and probably more so to them, I nodded. "One day we got into a fight. We used to be so close and…I didn't understand why we weren't anymore. He used to be such a shy kid, and I always thought that he'd just keep following me around, you know? But when he stopped coming to school and didn't make any friends there…it felt like we were living in two different worlds. And I just wanted us to stick together. I just wanted him to be…normal."

"….I don't think I really understood until after he ran away." I paused, deciding what more to say, and I noticed that Ren had gone very quiet. I realized the look he was giving to the floor didn't quite match Kaede's. His was empathetic where hers was still laced with sympathy. "I get it now. He is normal. And just because his normal doesn't match mine doesn't mean he was wrong. I just wish I would have told him that."

After a solemn silence, Ren spoke, hushed, but with a determination I didn't expect. "So why _don't_ you tell him?"

"You see…my mother and I know who he's with, and that he's safe. But we don't know exactly where he's at, and we know that…that he doesn't want to be bothered." I sighed again. "I think if I met with him he'd probably think I was going to try and change him." I gave them both a soft smile that I knew didn't quite reach my eyes. "But it really does feel good to talk about it. Thank you, guys."

Kaede gave a solitary nod, and Ren looked like there was more he wanted to say but couldn't find the words for.

Before he could come up with the right sentence, there was another knock at the door.

I excused myself from our small picnic and went back to the door. I took a breath to retrieve my smile from the tense atmosphere, and opened it.

This time, it really was the movers.

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A/N Thank you to everyone that asked me to update, I really do appreciate it. I don't intend to abandon the story and I will do my best to have the next chapter up in a timely manner. I also plan to go back and fix a typo in the prologue, so sorry if you guys get a notification about that.

In this chapter we see more of Ren and Kaede, and get an insight into Yuki's feelings toward Ame, and in return, you can probably draw some assumptions about how she feels toward herself.

No Jutengai yet, but it should happen within the next couple of chapters.

This fanfiction is not fully planned out yet (There's a vague outline and an over all idea of how I want things to go), but since I know I have some readers now, I'd like to ask you if there's anything you would like to see in the future. Not to say that it will definitely happen, but feel free to make suggestions via review or PM. Likewise, let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer any non-spoiler-y ones.


	4. Chapter 3: Revelations

Chapter 3: Revelations

By the end of the week, the apartment looked brand new. My home had been scrubbed twice. Once before all of my stuff was in it, and once afterward. Moving all of my stuff in and out was more taxing on the floors than I had imagined it would be.

But now, the kitchen cabinet had been repaired and painted. The paint for the kitchen and the living room were the same, since it was hard to distinguish where one ended and the other began. The kitchen didn't have a table in it, but in the living room a single piece of furniture made up for it.

A kotatsu table.

The table was a present from my mother, though I'd had no idea it was in the same truck as my other belongings. It was a little old, as she'd gotten it used from one of our old neighbors, but it would make the winter here a lot easier when it rolled around. And as it was still early March, the weather was chilly and the table would probably see use until later in the month.

It was off today. The weather outside was just nice enough to not need it, and the windows in the back of the apartment were open to let the breeze in. The one in the smaller bedroom, however, was left closed. I hadn't realized it during my initial walk-through, but the screen was missing. And I'd situated my desk right next to it so I would have the breeze as I studied for the upcoming semester…but there was no way I was risking losing anything to the wind.

I let out a sigh and gave my head a shake. _I guess I'll just have to pick one up later. I should measure the window._ I scowled. _Do I have a tape measure?_

I didn't.

That afternoon I decided to go grocery shopping. I had brought some canned food in the truck, but I was too afraid to bring anything else because I doubted it would survive the trip. And now that I had burned through most of them, I was both in dire need of food and sick and tired of canned vegetables. The downside to living on a farm is developing a dislike for vegetables that weren't fresh.

To my dismay, I found that fruits and vegetables were even more expensive in Shibuya than my last town. I left the market without anything at all.

"There's got to be a smaller place that would have them cheaper…" I mumbled to myself. "If I spend that much on food I'm going to starve before I even get a job…"

It was true that I hadn't found a job yet. I fully intended on getting one, but I knew if I didn't organize my living space at least a little first, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else. Unfortunately, that meant most of my savings had gone into cleaning it and buying convenience food on the go.

"Maybe I should just hunt for jobs today…" I began walking toward the nearest cluster of stores in hopes someone would be hiring.

I went to several stores, and though several seemed interested in me, none hired me on the spot, and I hadn't expected them too. _Maybe I'll check the store Ayame works at._ I wasn't sure if she would be there, but it wouldn't hurt my chances to have someone I'd met before there when I applied.

The walk back toward Ayame's store was a long one. I had purposefully been applying for jobs close to my new University, but it wouldn't be awful to get a job close to her store, since it was so close to my home.

When I at last arrived at the store, Ayame Chiba was dangling from a shelf against the wall. I spotted a ladder that had been knocked over and rushed to right it so she could lower herself on it. She did so and let out a light laugh that might have been nervous or relief filled. "Oh, thank you! I was climbing to get one of these," she gestured to a small piece of merchandise that she had in her hand, "But I had to go higher than the ladder, and I accidentally knocked it over! I thought I was going to have to jump down."

When I just stared at her, incredulous, she gave me a bright smile and continued. "You look different when you're all dry, Miyazaki-san."

I blushed involuntarily, "And you look different when hanging from a shelf, Chiba-san." I nearly slapped a hand over my mouth, as I hadn't meant to say that aloud, but Ayame didn't seem phased in the slightest, rather she let out a loud laugh.

"Ha ha! I'm sure I do!" She wrinkled her nose at me. "But let's make it Ayame. Chiba-san is what everyone calls my mother."

I nodded half heartedly, my face still burning from saying something so out of place. "Okay, Ayame-san." She still didn't seem to like how that sounded and clicked her tongue, but nodded.

"That'll do for now. What can I do for you? More shopping?" She asked in a hopeful voice.

"Not this time," I began, "I was wondering if you're hiring."

She smiled. "Hiring? Well...Not exactly. But I can talk to my mom about it."

"Your mom? She works here too?"

Ayame looked at me oddly. "She owns here. I would have thought it was obvious."

"Obvious? How so?"

"Well," Ayame spoke as she gestured to a rather large sign adorning the front of the store's glass, and though it was backwards due to being viewed from the inside, it very clearly read "Chiba's Closet is pretty straightforward, don't you think?"

"Oh…" I realized at that moment that I had never bothered to look for the stores name. "It is. I'm sorry, I guess I never thought about it."

Ayame looked at my dejected expression and shook her head. "Don't worry. I won't tell my mother." She went to the counter and set down the item she could have died getting and turned back to me. "But she's actually not going to be here until tonight. I'll tell her about you, and you can swing by tomorrow morning and see her for an on-the-spot interview, okay?" She gave me a reassuring smile.

I nodded at her. "That sounds great. I'll be here." There was something about her carefree nature that made me relax a little. Maybe I hadn't completely embarrassed myself.

When I left the store I was confident I was going to get a job there, and I made my way back toward the grocery store to stock up.

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The next day, I wasn't so confident. Chiharu Chiba was a tall and very pregnant woman, with a loud fashion sense-of bright yellows and greens-and an even louder voice.

She was also terrifying.

It wasn't so much that she was mean, but rather that I had never seen a pregnant woman with so much energy. She gave me a wide smile as I introduced myself. "So you're Aya's friend! I heard you'd like to work here." I was too startled by her loud proclamation to do anything other than nod. "Then let's get to it!"

"Um...What would you like to know?"

"Can you work?"

I frowned lightly. "Of course. I haven't done this kind of work before, but I'm willing to-"

Chiharu nodded. "In that case, we can get started."

"Get…? What else would you like to know?"

She looked at my oddly in the same exact way her daughter had the day before, and I was beginning to understand where Ayame got her personality. "I don't need to know anything else. I just need to see how you'll do in the store."

"Wha…?"

And the entirety of my day was spent learning how to run the store.

Even when I got a break, I didn't get to leave. I was forced to sit in the back while Chiharu cooked for both Ayame and I. Which….wasn't really that bad, since it was a free meal. And Chiharu insisted on talking to us the entire time. I told her where I was from, and why I was in town. Eventually, Chiharu asked me, "So do you have any family up here?"

I gave a shake of my head. "My mother lives pretty far away, and I don't really have any extended family." I purposely left out mention of Ame, hoping that it wouldn't come up again. I'd already been thinking about him more since speaking with Ren and Kaede.

Ayame tilted her head at me curiously. "What about your dad?"

I stilled. "He's...he's not around anymore." It was hard to find the words. It had been a very long time since I'd lost my father, but considering the circumstances of his death, it was always difficult to decide what to tell people. I fiddled with the cup of tea on the table in front of me, but stopped after I finished speaking.

Ayame quieted at the same time I did. "Oh. I….I'm sorry. That was rude of me. Mine...isn't around either." And then, rather than questioning further, she leaned over and hugged me from the side. I didn't hug her back, not because I didn't want to, persay, but because her arms had trapped mine at my sides. I did, however, turn my head to give her a grateful smile. She returned the smile, but there were some tears in the corner of her eyes, and between that and the fact Chiharu was quiet for the first time since I'd met her, I decided their loss was a lot more recent than mine. I wondered what had happened.

But I didn't ask.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Chiba's sent me home with more food than was necessary, but I accepted it after some pressing on their part, and soon I was on the way home. I couldn't help but think about the conversation we'd had during that break. It was easy to forget while I was working, but now that I had some free time...It was hard not to think about. Mostly, I wasn't even thinking about my dad. I was thinking about my mom and Ame. I missed them both.

I knew my mom was missing me too, especially since it would be a lot harder for me to come back during the breaks now that I was living so far away. I needed to call her again. _But it's so late..._ I sighed. I knew she wouldn't mind me calling this late, but I didn't want to wake her up knowing that she always gets up early to work on the farm.

As for Ame...I couldn't help but think about what Ren had told me. Why _don't_ I talk to him? I'd given him my answer, but now I was confused. In truth, I could hunt him down if I really wanted to. But if I did, I wouldn't know what to say. There was still too much that I didn't know how to put into words. And maybe...maybe a small part of me was still mad at him. Mad at him for leaving. Mad at him for not telling me goodbye. Mad at him for being happy with his decisions.

I stopped walking. _But I'm happy with my decisions too, aren't I?_

I didn't get to reflect on that thought, because in the alleyway beside me, I heard a whining sound. It was a small _yip_ that I knew right away wasn't from a person, but from an animal.

 _Is someone hurt?_ I stepped into the narrow walkway and looked around for the potentially injured animal, but instead I saw a person covered with a cloak. It wasn't unusual to wear a jacket in march, but it was a nice day, and a cloak, of all things? "E..excuse me. I'm looking for an animal."

The person seemed to stiffen beneath their cloak, and it was at that moment that I noticed they were holding a wrapped bundle in their arms. A very squirmy bundle. I narrowed my eyes. _The animal?_ The person stepped back after seeing the look on my face and I heard another soft _yip_ from their direction. I frowned deeply. "I think you might be hurting that animal." I spoke as I walked toward them.

The person took off running in the other direction, carrying the bundle away, and I noticed as they were running that the person was limping a little. Despite this, they were definitely in more shape than I was and had no trouble outpacing me. That didn't mean I was going to give up though. I ran after them as fast as I could- _without four legs, anyway-_ and we soon ended up in a loud street I had never been to before. The cloaked person kept running, and I urged myself after them. "Wait, stop!"

But they didn't stop, and as they rounded a corner, they seemed to trip over their own feet and fall. I stopped in front of them. "Is the animal okay?" I was really worried this person might have fallen on top of them. "Are you okay?"

Before I could get an answer to either, the animal in the bundle managed to pop out of it and started severely crying. But to my shock, it wasn't an animal, but a toddler. "Oh. Oh no. I am so, so sorry." I leaned down and held a hand out to the person on the ground. The person didn't take it in favor of trying to console the toddler, now firmly planted on the ground. The child soon quieted into just sniffles, and the hooded person turned in my direction at last, standing unsteadily.

"What do you want?" The person asked. I was surprised to find that the boyish voice that came from inside didn't sound like an adult at all. I'd started to think that this person was the parent of the child.

"I...I thought that you had some sort of animal in there that you were trying to get rid of or something. I'm sorry. I must have heard wrong." I paused, and continued after a moment. "But you didn't have to run away. It made you look pretty suspicious."

The person put a hand on their hip. "Well, I'm sorry I didn't get the dog scent over the scent of all that food." This time I was the one that froze. This was the second time someone had mentioned that I smelled like a dog, but before I could wonder _why_ that was important to this person, they brought their hands up and flipped their hood down.

I dropped the bag of food.

The teenage boy in front of me...had ears. Animal ears. Curly auburn hair with a set of matching droopy ears on top. And they were real, as they were moving. I could feel that my mouth was stuck open and very potentially floundering. "A….another wolf?" I had never stuttered so much in my life.

The boy scowled at me. "Of course not. I'm a Malamute. Though that's kind of rude to ask. If we're going to ask rude things, you're old, right? Why don't you have your ears yet?"

He continued speaking, but all of the rest fell on empty ears as I turned back the way I came. _There's no way this is actually happening. No way. I'm imagining it. Ame and I are the last ones. Last ones. Last-_ My thought process came to a screeching halt as I realized the loud street I'd run through was filled with more people than I could count. Or maybe more animals than I could count. I wasn't sure what was happening anymore.

I could feel it as I started to panic, and that as I started to panic my control started slipping. For the first time in years, I could feel my wolf ears emerge, and since I couldn't know for sure whether I was imagining any of this or not, I knew I couldn't risk letting normal people see me like this.

And so I ran.


	5. Chapter 4: Outsider

Chapter 4: Outsider

I didn't stop running until I was breathless. I hadn't gone back the way I'd came. I hadn't been thinking. I kneeled on the rough ground beneath me and put my hands over my ears. Now that I was away from everyone, I needed to calm down. I attempted to take a few deep breaths, but instead of the breaths being long and calming, they were more fast paced and left me more breathless than when I had started.

I was still panicking.

I was so lost in my own head that even with the advanced hearing I hadn't used in years, I still didn't notice someone approaching me. And from the giant hand that landed on my back, I should have heard them a mile away.

But the hand managed to start me, and I breathed in sharply. "I'm sorry for startling you," A voice that was deep but gentle spoke in turn to my response. "You're safe. If you don't calm down, you'll hyperventilate." I attempted again to breath deeply, but it was shaky and difficult. "It might help if you lock your hands behind your head, instead of on top of them. And if you can sit up straighter, that would help too."

I shook my head, my hands still firmly on my ears. "N-no, I…" And when I was still in the middle of shaking my head, my eyes finally landed on the person trying to help me.

He had long blonde hair and facial hair to match, but the most striking features were his ears, and the long, white tusks protruding from his face. I stared at him for a long moment, eyes wide, and before I realized what I was doing, my hands lowered from my head to cover my mouth.

I'd changed more than I'd even realized. My hands touched the cold nose of a wolf. If I was hallucinating, this person had already seen all they needed to. _I need to run, I need to get home._ I tried to stand, but it was then I realized that the entire time I'd been staring at this man, I'd been holding my breath. When I stood, the world swayed.

And then everything was dark.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The first thing I noticed was that I was in a bed. There were soft pillows underneath me, and a fluffy comforter on top of me. The second thing I noticed was that I hadn't changed back when I fainted. A part of the panic I had felt before started to build up again, but I squashed it quickly. It was easier this time. I inhaled slowly and before long had passed, I was human again. Normal again.

It served both to comfort me, and to make me uneasy. Like this, I wouldn't be hauled away for being a freak of nature. But since I didn't know where I was, maybe I already had been. _Defending myself would be easier as a wolf._ But I could defend myself now, too, couldn't I?

I looked around the room I was in and found that besides the modern bed, the room was actually very traditional in style, complete with a single shoji door to serve as the rooms entrance. At first I thought that the door had a strange silhouette built into the paper, but I realized as the door slid open that it was actually the shadow of someone standing outside of it.

The man with the tusks was the one that walked into the room.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, but when I opened them, the figment of my imagination I had thought would disappear was still present. I wasn't hallucinating. This had to be real.

The man seemed surprised to find me awake, and a little...nervous? It was surprisingly easy to read the expressions on his face, and I attributed it to all the time I'd spent with animals when I was younger. He didn't approach, and I realized he was staring specifically at my head. "Your ears…"

I stilled and slowly reached up to my head. _Did they not go away?_ But my hand landed on my hair. I looked at him in confusion until he continued, "...Are you hurt?"

I blinked. "I-I'm fine." _Hurt? Why would he think I-oh._ It was then that I realized maybe changing back wasn't a good idea. I was face to face with a...boar? And he was real, and he _thought I was a wolf._

He seemed unconvinced, but he approached slowly, like I might flee from him. And while a part of me wanted to, the part of me that was realizing the situation I was in was real wanted to learn what was going on. When he reached the bed he sat on the side of it, near my feet. He looked my way. "My name is Iozen."

"My name is Miyazaki Yuki."

He nodded slowly as though committing it to memory. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I...I was on my way home, but there was an alley as I was passing by. I heard a sound so I went to investigate…" I allowed myself to trail off. How could I explain that I thought an animal was being hurt, only to find out there wasn't- _exactly_ -an animal at all?

But the man-Iozen-took my silence as a confirmation that I _didn't_ remember. "Was that alley much larger than it should have been?"

"I guess so...it did take a long time before I came out."

"It seems you are new to this town, as I'm sure you would have known what that alley was. It's a passage to the world of humans, and you must take very specific routes to get there. It's lucky you were able to find your way back here."

 _World of humans? Back…?_ "Back here…?" I gave a shake of my head. "I don't even know where here is!" My voice rose of my own accord. I felt like a child again. Not knowing what was going on or who I even am. _Human._ I reminded myself. _You are human._

 _Humans can't turn into wolves at will._ I shook my head at the inward declaration. I may not have started human, but I'd made my choice.

Outside my internal debate, Iozen was scowling. It made his tusks more pronounced and I tried not to stare. Instead, I lowered my eyes to my hands resting on the covers. "I'm sorry," I told him, "I didn't mean to yell."

"It's alright. You were very upset. It's not unusual for your memory to be fuzzy, so I understand why you're confused."

"But my memory isn't fuzzy. This place...I don't know what it is. I didn't know a place like this could exist. This... _World of Humans_ you mentioned, that's where I've lived. Always."

Iozen grew quiet, and I was worried I'd messed up somehow. When I looked at him again, he had that same scowl on his face. "You've...never been with your own kind before?" There was something sympathetic in his voice.

"My own kind…?" I spoke softly, and it wasn't meant to be a question, not really, but he answered anyway.

"Beasts."

My heart felt as though it had been stung. _Not normal. Not human. Wolf. Beast._ The stinging sensation went from the feeling of being stung to a fist clenching down on my chest. "I'm _human!"_ I had practically screamed it at him, and he stood from the bed as he realized he'd said something wrong. I felt bad, but I was so _angry._ All this time trying so hard to fit in, to be like every other human, and now something like this happens? _Why?_

And then, as if just to spite me, I felt it as my control slipped again until I didn't look very human anymore.

Iozen stood there watching me, and only a second passed before the sliding door flew open, creating a screeching sound that somehow managed to snap me out of my anger.

Instead, I buried my face in my hands and cried.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A/N I know it's only, like, half the size of the last chapter, but this was the best cut off point I had. Sorry for not updating in….3 months. I'll do better, I swear.


	6. Chapter 5: Reality

Chapter 5: Reality

"Father? What's going on?"

"Who is this?"

I heard the voices but I didn't raise my head. I was beyond caring.

"This girl is very distressed," Iozen started, "And I believe she may need some time to rest."

The two unfamiliar voices murmured their assent, and after a long moment the door slid closed in a much softer manner than when it had opened.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

No one else was in the room, but I could hear them speaking in low voices just outside of it. I wasn't sure if they were under the impression I wouldn't hear them, or if they thought I was too out of sorts to understand them. But the words being spoken gave me something to cling to, something to focus on besides my own thoughts.

Iozen's voice spoke in a low whisper, "I don't know much about her….she gave me her name, but nothing she spoke of made sense to me."

Another voice responded, and it was much like the first, but had a slightly higher pitch and sounded very intrigued. "What did she say? What's her name? Where did you find her?"

"She said her name is Miyazaki Yuki. I didn't find her far from here….she was having a panic attack of sorts. Some of the people from town had seen her running off and expressed their concerns…." He trailed off, as though lost in thought.

The last voice spoke, and it sounded very different from the first two. It was deep, though not as much as Iozen's, and it didn't reverberate the same way. "Was she running from someone?"

Iozen's spoke once more. "I believe….she might have been running from _everyone._ "

"What?" The higher voice, again. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Jiromaru, that she hasn't seen other beasts before."

I fought to keep my response to the statement from exploding out of me, inhaling sharply instead.

The higher voice, Jiromaru, continued after a long silence. "She's….how is that possible?"

Iozen let out an almost inaudible sigh. "If I were to guess….I'd say somehow she was raised in the human world, without any other beasts around. I'd say a human raised her."

Jiromaru, unabated, kept the conversation going. "A human raised her…? Did she tell you that?"

Iozen gave a slight shake of his head, known only because of the thick fur brushing against the door. "No, but I think that has to be the case. She seems to believe she's human."

There was another sharp intake of breath after that, but it wasn't from me. It was from the third person, who had hardly spoken.

I could feel the tension grow even from where I sat, but my tears had run dry. Carefully, I rose from the bed and made my way to the sliding door.

Once there, I paused just behind it.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to face the…. _beasts_ on the other side of the door. There was a part of me that was letting reality sink in, like a rock sliding into my stomach. But if I opened that door, I knew it would settle there and I'd have to come to terms with what I'd learned today.

Outside, it was easier to hear as Iozen shifted to face one of them, the last boy, she suspected. "Ichirohiko….maybe you'd like to speak with her?"

The silence that prevailed after was enough of an answer.

Jiromaru spoke again. "So what should we do?"

"I don't know. Normally I would let the Lord handle this, but as he is currently away…" Iozen trailed off, but the voice of who must be Ichirohiko spoke up, though perhaps a bit quietly.

"It would be best to have Kyuta speak to her." I wasn't sure if he was trying to keep his voice down for my sake, or if maybe he was soft spoken in general. There was a contemplative silence after his suggestion, and I frowned as I waited for their response.

 _Who is this Lord? Who is Kyuta?_ My eyes scanned the room behind me and landed on a large window. I could leave. Jump out and run away. But how would I get home? _How would I find out what's going on?_

I took a deep breath and held it for a moment as I realized I didn't feel nearly as panicked as before. Doing my best to keep hold of the purpose that brought on that calm, _learning what's happening,_ I carefully changed back until my wolf ears were all that remained. I'd be more comfortable if I looked normal, but if Iozen's reaction to the lack of ears before was any indicator, it was probably best to stay this way.

Iozen nodded, and his shadow moved along with it. "He might be able to help her. But he's in the human world, and we don't know when he'll be back again."

I slid the door open, and three faces turned to look at me. Iozen stood closest to the door, and had to turn completely around. The three men stood in a triangle of sorts, with Iozen being the central point.

To his left, before he had turned, was another young man with the features of a boar. He had one long patch of hair that curved across most of his brow, and two tusks that were a bit shorter than Iozen's. He had two animal ears that were covered by fur the same shade as the hair on his head, brown where Iozen's was golden. A pig's snout was just under his eyes, and those eyes were wide with curiosity.

To his right the final young man stood, and he was different in appearance completely from the other two. This boy had blue eyes and black hair that seemed faded in a way that it could almost pass as a gray or blue. He locked eyes with mine for a brief moment, and there was some emotion there, though it was hard to tell if it was sympathy or pity. But it wasn't this look that really struck me. It was that he looked completely human.

His eyes flickered up to my ears, and feeling I should have changed them back after all, I almost stepped back into the room.

Almost.

Instead, I broke my gaze at their surprised faces, and as they didn't seem eager to speak first, I would. I turned to Iozen, as he was clearly the oldest. I bowed deeply at the waist, my hair, a slightly different shade than I was used to seeing-as a result of it matching my ears-fell over my shoulders, obstructing them from my view. "I'm….I'm very sorry for how I've acted so far. I've had a very surprising day. Please forgive me."

When several beats went by with nothing but breathing to break the silence, I rose and lifted my eyes to Iozen's. He seemed to be unable to comprehend that the sobbing mess in the bedroom and the me before him now were the same person. But I couldn't blame him for that, because I almost couldn't either. "...You have nothing to apologize for. It's obvious that you have had a lot happen."

I was surprised by the statement, but I gave a small dip of my head in acknowledgement. "Thank you." I paused briefly before continuing, "I'm feeling a bit more calm….but I'm still….confused."

Iozen nodded deliberately. "I will help the best I can." He turned to the other boy with boar like features, who, I realized, was still staring at me with I assumed was shock. "Jiromaru, will you ask your mother to brew some tea? We'll sit and speak at the table."

Jiromaru shook his head quickly as if to recover himself. "Of course!" He glanced at me and smiled. "I'll be right back."

He was down the hall almost faster than my eyes could handle.

I smiled slightly at his behavior, and Iozen gestured down the same hall. "Come, the table is this way." The older man guided me with a hand on my shoulder, and I found that despite the circumstances my panic was truly gone.

Instead, where the imaginary rock had once been, a mixture of curiosity and nervousness were fighting with each other, causing me to feel a little nauseous. It didn't help that the boy who seemed human-who I knew now must be Ichirohiko-was walking closely behind us. He hadn't spoken a word to me, but I could feel his gaze, and the thought that another human had seen me _like this_ was doing some terrible things to the internal battle.

When we reached the halfway mark of the hall there were two sliding doors on opposite sides of the hallway. On one side, the door was closed, but the one that was left open led outside. Iozen stepped away and to the closed door to open it, and as he did, I stepped to the opening and peered out.

Instead of exiting into a street, I was greeted to the view of a wide courtyard. The wooden floor of the hall continued out about a foot, creating a small porch-like area with the edge of the roof acting as an awning. The area was enclosed in a wide square, and there was an entrance to the courtyard only at where I stood and the wall across from me. It was also opened.

Equipment of some sort was lined up against one of the doorless sides. It was old and worn, and definitely nothing people of this time period should be using, but it seemed from the lack of dust and dirt that either it was still in use, or they took a lot of pride in keeping it in top shape.

I didn't realize that the young man next to me had appeared there until he spoke. "Father uses this area as a training grounds."

I pretended that I didn't jump in surprise and turned my head to face Ichirohiko. "A training ground...?"

He nodded, and his face expressed that he was very fond of the fact. "He is very strong, and he trains every beast he takes on to be honorable fighters."

I realized maybe this place was not just a home, but a dojo of sorts. "Does your father work with…?" I glanced back toward Iozen. I was a little uncomfortable calling the...man...I'd just met by name, and at this point I wasn't even sure what honorific to address him with. _Is he really a teacher?_

It was when my eyes met Iozen's that I realized he was already finished preparing the other room and was instead watching our exchange. I could feel my face heating up in embarrassment from not paying closer attention. Iozen smiled kindly despite my discomfort and approached, stopping to put a hand on the shoulder of the dark haired boy. "Ichirohiko is my son."

I tried, with difficulty, to hide my surprise. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry, I didn't realize…." From the look on Ichirohiko's face, I didn't hide it very well. I struggled for a moment to find a way to apologize without offending him more, and when none came, I changed the subject, averting my eyes from the mix of emotions on Ichirohiko's face and instead looking to Iozen. "...So you teach here? Fighting?"

Iozen looked simultaneously upset and relieved about the subject change. It seemed it was a sensitive subject. "Yes. We help the lord of this land to uphold the peace, and to promote teachings of fighting _for_ peace."

I opened my mouth to comment, but the noise that escaped wasn't a word as I was cut off by a voice from behind me. "Father is one of the best there is! Though Ichirohiko and Kyuta are really great too." Jiromaru came bounding down the hallway, and despite hearing his approach, the noise still manage to startle me. It was a little harder to hide that I jumped when I was surrounded, and from the amusement in the eyes of the two in front of me, I wondered if they'd noticed when I jumped the first time.

Jiromaru came around to stand off to the side, halfway between his family and me. I decided it was no use trying to pretend he hadn't scared me, and I let out a laugh that was somewhere between sheepish and nervous. "That's the second one of your sons that has startled me today."

This time, it was Jiromaru that was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I've been told I can get over excited."

I gave a slight shake of my head. "No, no, it's alright. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just….easily alarmed today." That only seemed to make the young man's face seem more apologetic, and I attempted to give him a reassuring look.

Iozen spoke again. "Jiromaru, is the tea ready?"

The boy nodded. "Mom's bringing it right now."

Ichirohiko turned to the door Iozen had opened before. "Then perhaps we should go sit down."

After glancing around to see that the others were also heading into the room, I followed behind them all.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

To my surprise, the large room we entered was nearly empty. A few decorations were scattered around, with the most prominent being a vase of flowers on a slightly raised platform. Close to that was a low table that ran long enough to host an entire classroom if need be, and while the table was a plain, dark colored wood, the floor beneath it was a light cream color. As I spotted the panelled floor I realized that unlike the wooden floors of the rest of the house so far, this room instead had tatami mats.

On the other side of the room an opening led to what was obviously an entryway, and I guessed that this was the central part of the house.

Iozen's children sat at the long table, at about the midway mark, diagonal from each other. Iozen himself, who had been the closest to me, sat beside Ichirohiko. With the ease in which their seats were chosen, it was easy to conclude this was how they always sat.

I only took a moment before folding myself onto the spot besides Jiromaru, completing the square.

Right after doing so, the soft clink of porcelain sounded near the door, and we all turned as a woman carried a tray to the table. The tray was long and oval shaped, and a teapot sat on one end with the necessary dishes. On the end closest to the woman, however, was a large stack of _something_ wrapped and bound in white cloth. This was obviously making it very difficult for her to see, as she nearly tripped over one of the large cushions at the edge of the table. The contents of her tray tilted precariously, and, being the closest to her, I rose and rushed to her. "Here, let me help you." 

I relieved her of the tray carefully, and I heard a voice say, "Oh, thank you." But though the bundles were no longer in front of her face, they were in front of mine.

As if sensing the dilemma, the tray got lighter as everything but the tea was removed from the tray. Now able to see in front of me, I placed the tray in the center of the table, wanting to set it down before I dropped it on accident.

Afterward the woman, who was turned away from me, set the wrapped bundles on either side of the tray. When she was satisfied with their placement, she turned to face me. "I'm sorry for making a guest work like that!" The woman was also some sort of boar, though she had extremely small tusks in comparison to the two males. Her eyes and hair were brown, the same shade as Jiromaru's, and she wore a light blue kimono that was wrapped just under her collarbone. Above that she wore a beige shawl that fit over her kimono and left plenty of room to move in. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Inori."

I introduced myself again. "Miyazaki Yuki." And as she had pointed out that I was a guest, I felt inclined to add, "Please take care of me."

The older woman looked both honored and amused as she took in the response. "Well aren't you a polite one. Please, sit. I've heard you had quite the experience."

I nodded in return and placed myself back in the spot I'd chosen. The three men in the room had been quiet the entire time, and while Iozen and Ichirohiko had clearly watched the exchange, Jiromaru had unwrapped the white cloth closest to him to reveal the contents were in fact an assortment of sweets.

Inori took a moment before walking to the other side of the table and taking a seat beside her husband. With the expression she was making, it seemed she wasn't used to sitting there.

It only took a moment to register that she wasn't in a seat she was used to because _I_ was in her spot. "Ah, I'm sorry, would you like me to move?"

She waved her hand to show that I shouldn't worry about it. "Don't worry, you're fine where you're at." She turned the teapot slightly to reach it from her new seat before moving to pour tea for everyone. As she did so, she spoke again. "So, would you like to tell us what happened to you?"

I stayed silent for a period of time, but in the end, I decided that if I wanted to get answers, I was probably going to have to give some first. "I've never met so many people like this before...it was just startling."

Jiromaru swallowed what he'd just started eating and turned his head to face me. "So you really did grow up with humans? No one figured out that you were a beast?"

My hands gripped the warm cup of tea a little tighter. "That's….I'm not…" I paused and sighed in defeat. "No one outside of my hometown knows about this...besides you all, now. I prefer to look perfectly normal."

When Jiromaru gave me a confused look, it dawned on me that to them, _this_ was normal. But now that I'd seen that they definitely didn't hate humans-as Ichirohiko seemed very human-and they'd clearly adopted him into their family, I felt it was alright to change to how _I_ felt normal.

I kept my gaze on the reflection through the tea I held as the fur covered ears vanished, and I looked up again only when the gasps of surprise reached me.

They were all staring with wide eyes, and I shifted uncomfortably. _Maybe this wasn't such a good decision…_ Iozen was the first to recover from his shock-likely because he'd seen me without the ears once before-and managed to speak. "I've never seen a beast that could change their features like that…."

"That's because I'm _not_ a _beast._ " The words came out in a sharper tone than I had intended, and I took a moment to assure myself I wouldn't raise my voice again before proceeding. "I was born with the ability to change, fully, into a wolf. My father was the same way….but my father thought he was the last of his kind. _I_ thought we…" I gave my head a slight shake. "But I haven't turned into a wolf in years, and I don't _want_ to." _Right?_ "Everyone I-Almost everyone I care about is human. So human is what I want to be."

It was difficult to admit to the people around me. The people that were a lot like me, but so _different_ at the same time. They were the only people besides my mother and two friends that had heard exactly what I thought, but at the same time, they were likely some of the only ones that _wouldn't_ understand.

To my surprise, however, the silence that followed wasn't filled with the horrified shock I'd come to expect. My gaze had landed on the three boar-like people, but while Jiromaru _did_ look surprised, the look he was giving the table may have been sadness or disappointment. His parents, on the other hand, looked to be in deep contemplation.

I was so busy looking at these animal-like people that I didn't even consider the human...until the table seemed to start vibrating.

My attention shifted to the table in front of Ichirohiko and noticed that his pale hands were shaking, and I realized that I was going to get the horrified reaction out of the one person I didn't expect.

However, when my eyes lifted to look at his face, his icy eyes were burning with what could only be _anger_.

 _"How stupid."_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A/N So Happy Early New Years, guys. Here is a much longer chapter, so I hope it cheers everyone up! I apologize if the style of the writing is a little odd compared to normal. I may have mentioned before that I don't typically write in first person, and I'm finding it's very difficult now that I have several character's for Yuki to interact with.

Anyway, hope you guys have had great holidays!


	7. Chapter 6: Confusion

Chapter 6: Confusion

 _"How Stupid."_

The shock of having the least expected person look so furious left me speechless. "Excuse me…?"

The dark haired man narrowed his eyes as if just to oppose my own widened orbs. "How can you sit there and act like…" He trailed off with a grimace, but it was easy to see that it wasn't because he was unable to find the words, but rather that he had difficulty continuing over his emotions.

"Ichirohiko…" Iozen spoke, and went to place an arm on his son's shoulder, but he jerked away from him.

" _No!_ I just can't fathom how she," He turned back to lock eyes with me again. "How _you_ think you can make the choice to _be_ human." He stood and his arms slammed against the table, everything on it rocking from the movement. I stared at him open mouthed, but before I could respond he continued. "Don't you understand what you are? How many would _want_ to be able to do what you can, and you _you_ don't even care about what you were given?"

Inside, I could feel the the water building to the top of the dam. My mouth clicked shut and I put my hands on my knees to keep everyone from seeing them shake. I looked at him. "I can't help what I was born as. But I _can_ decide who I am from here on."

This didn't serve to calm him down, however. His arms dropped from the table and were left at his side, clenching into tight fists. I could see clearly that they were once again trembling. "No. You can decide what you _want_ to be. But no matter how much you may _want_ to be something different, it doesn't change what you _are._ "

Rather than the river trickling over the dam, it burst through it, and I shot to my feet.

"I am _human._ It isn't about _wanting_ to be different, because I'm already what I want to be! Just who do you think _you_ are that you can tell me what I can and can't do?" The composure that had replaced my panicked state only a short time ago was clearly only the calm before the storm, because now, I couldn't collect myself. _Just who does he think he is?_ I didn't give him time to answer the question. "Maybe other people _would_ want to be a wolf. Maybe everyone else thinks it would be so great to run off into the woods and never interact with any of their _normal_ friends and family if given the choice. But I don't. And I won't _ever_ hurt the people I care about that way!" I was practically snarling at him now.

There was a brief silence after I finished speaking, and as I realized all that I'd said, I felt the flood waters start sinking. I sank with it; dropping into the cushioned spot I'd started in.

But just as I was starting to regain some composure, Ichirohiko gestured at me,"That," He started, holding his hand out much like he was going to help me up, "Is not the face of a human." only it was meant to break me down. The words felt cold, and the sunken river inside made its way up further than it had been the entire exchange, until I could feel it building behind my eyes.

When I'd reacted in anger to Ichirohiko, I'd started to change again, without even realizing it. It was always _panic_ and _anger_. Why couldn't I stay in control?

A small voice was murmuring in the back of my mind, _instinct._

I squashed the thought and redirected my focus into looking normal again. As I did so, I tilted my head to look up again, blinking back the tears before they could squander the little dignity I had left. My eyes landed on Ichirohiko again, but he wasn't looking at me anymore.

Instead, his gaze was downward, and I followed it to the hand he'd held out. He'd pulled it back some, now hovering less by the table and closer to him. It was there I found what he was so transfixed by. It was a thin, red string tied to his wrist.

I felt an arm on my shoulder and I jumped slightly before turning to see Inori at my side. She had a worried look on her face, and when her eyes flickered to her son I knew it wasn't just concern for me. But she gave me a small smile anyway. "Let's go get you washed up, okay?" She reached forward with cloth napkin and dabbed at my cheek, and I realized I wasn't as successful at hiding my tears as I'd thought.

I nodded half heartedly and stood, and as she led me back to the hall, I glanced back at the table. Both Iozen and Jiromaru were now standing beside Ichirohiko, his father speaking to him in a low voice that I couldn't make out. Jiromaru wasn't facing me, but his posture conveyed his worry well enough.

Ichirohiko himself seemed to be paying very little attention to them. His eyes were still on his wrist, and it seemed all the heat had drained out of him. I wasn't sure why. He'd gotten the last word.

I turned my attention forward.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The kitchen was small compared to the other rooms I'd seen so far, and I was grateful for it. There was a tall square table in one corner that was clearly used as counter space, but the two chairs on either side of it were uncluttered, and after washing my face, I took a seat in one of them.

Inori and I were quiet for several minutes as she went about the kitchen and I stayed trapped in my thoughts.

 _Not the face of a human. Not a human. Not human._

"-ou okay?" I blinked when I found Inori in front of me. When it was clear by my expression that I hadn't been paying attention, she repeated herself. "I said, are you okay?"

"Oh. I'm alright. Thank you."

She sat in the other chair and placed a steaming cup in front of me. I realized she'd also cleared part of the table without me noticing. I looked into the cup and found that it was a light color, and didn't have a strong scent. Inori noticed my curiosity and smiled lightly. "Chamomile. It should help you relax. It might be a little too hot though, I had to brew it a little differently since the teapot is still at the table."

"I see. Thank you."

We lapsed into silence once more, and when Inori deemed it cool enough to drink, I sipped at the tea.

Halfway through the warm drink, the lingering anxieties faded a little. My shoulders relaxed a little, and Inori must have been using that as a cue, because she spoke again right afterward. "I hope you aren't too upset with Ichirohiko….I know you've had an adventure today, but please understand that he has….well, he's gone through some things of his own."

I could sense there was a much bigger story there, but it really wasn't my place to pry. Especially not into the hardships of a family that has done nothing but help me. Maybe that would normally be a reason to try and help them too, but I barely knew them, and I doubted I'd be much help to them. "I….I don't think I can judge him, even if I want to, since I don't know why he acted the way he did. But I also don't think I can easily forgive him for judging me when he doesn't know anything about me either."

Inori seemed to accept that with a reluctant nod. "I understand."

We were silent again, and it felt as though there were still words left unsaid, though neither of us spoke them.

A little after the tea was finished, Iozen entered the kitchen. His bulky form just barely fit in the doorway, and I noticed one of the reasons it seemed so small was because the door frame was a bit smaller than the other rooms. Inori turned to her husband and spoke up. "How is he?"

"He'll be alright. He was going to hide away in his room, but Jiromaru convinced him to go into town with him."

That didn't seem to sit well with Inori, and she frowned. "Into town?"

Iozen nodded. "It'll be fine."

I watched the exchange and eventually, "...Is there something wrong with the town?"

Both of them turned to me, and I got the feeling that they'd half forgotten I was there. Inori was the one to answer. "No, no, of course not. It's just that some enjoy gossipping, and most that do never have anything good to say."

That didn't really help my confusion, but I nodded. "I see…" _Did they do something to be gossiped about?_ I had a feeling that was probably the case after considering all I'd heard from the family. "Speaking of town...I still haven't heard much about where I am."

Iozen nodded thoughtfully. "Come, we can speak in the courtyard."

I suspected the large boar was cramped in the small space, so I humored him and rose.

As we drifted down the hall in silence, I was only vaguely surprised that Inori didn't follow us. I had the feeling that she had entrusted me into his care, and with the baton passed, she set about the kitchen once more.

When we reached the courtyard Iozen stepped outside before lowering himself onto the wooden porch, and while my legs would likely dangle off the side, his hit the ground at a comfortable height. I sat at a small distance from him, and found that outside the sky was already getting dark.

The equipment in the yard was casting stretching shadows over the ground, and as I looked over it for the third time, I realized Iozen wasn't going to speak first. He was giving me the opportunity to ask all the questions I had about Jutengai, but now that I was given the chance, I didn't really know where to start. So instead, I asked the first thing that came to mind. "...Did you call off class because I ended up here?"

He seemed confused for a moment before his expression cleared. "Oh, no, not at all. There aren't really classes here."

"There aren't?"

"No. When I was helping more people, I suppose it could be thought of as a class. Now, the few that come here are taught one on one."

"Ah..."

A silence that lasted only half the time as the ones with his wife went by before he asked a question of his own. "Do you hate beasts?"

I looked at him in surprise, but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were fixed on the courtyard, but it seemed like his gaze was actually very far away. "No, of course not...I don't know enough to really form an opinion."

He gave a slow nod, but still didn't seem very relieved. "And do you hate wolves?"

I shook my head. "Of course I don't!"

"I see." He turned to face me at last, but his brow was furrowed in thought. "If that's the case...why is it that you wish to be human?"

I met his gaze for only a moment before looking out at the yard again. "You heard me, didn't you?" I folded my arms over my chest as though to keep the approaching night's chilly air away, but I knew it wasn't really that cold today. "I know it must be different here, because you know that humans exist….but humans don't know about this place. I don't know if my father knew...but if he did, he never told my mother. So my brother and I….we always thought we were the only ones."

I took a breath and and continued. "So imagine growing up and being able to change into something no one else can. To have interests you want to share but no one understands them. To want to have friends that are just like you. You just start to get interested in some other things, some normal things, that all the normal people are interested in. And you're so _happy_ when you make friends only to realize that they wouldn't be your friends if they knew. But...what does it matter if they don't know about something you don't even associate yourself with anymore?"

I paused, trying to organize what I wanted to say, but during that pause, Iozen interjected. "Why would you consider people that don't know you your friends?"

Any other time, the words might have resulted in a bad reaction from me...but the genuine concern and confusion in his voice managed to keep me calm. "They _do_ know me."

"Not all of you."

I turned to face him. "Because the other part of me is _gone._ This is all that's left. Me, human, me. Because there was no one else like me. Even my brother, who _should_ have…" I bit back the sentence and continued a new one. "He was different from me too."

Iozen was still looking at me with concern, and it seemed none of my words had phased him. "So you don't have any friends that know everything about you?"

I paused. I hadn't ever told even Shino, who was one of the only friends I'd kept in touch with over the years. But, there was…"Souhei…" We'd had a rough start, but even though I hadn't seen him in a long time, he was still who I considered my closest friend.

Iozen seemed a little relieved at the information and nodded. "So there is."

"But Souhei is a special case...he found out a long time ago, and even though he didn't mind, he's...different from most people. If other people knew...they'd think I was a monster."

Iozen sighed, but turned to look at the now dark sky. "I believe that someone worth keeping around wouldn't think that." I followed his gaze to what I expected to be the dark sky I was used to. Instead, I found that the blue was covered in the most stars I'd seen in sometime. The city was coated in its own bright lights, but back when I lived with mother, the stars looked a lot like this.

I sighed as well. "I live in a crowded city, crowded by normal people. And I like being around people, but I'll probably only be in Shibuya for a few more years. Even if, for some reason, I told someone-and there would be no point, because I don't change-I'd just leave again a little while later."

We were both quiet again.

"You can change at will," Iozen started just before the silence became uncomfortable, "You could become a wolf, stay a human, or even live in Jutengai and wouldn't be out of place. It seems that your problem is that you're trying very hard to fit into one spot, when you're clearly meant to be something more."

I felt the words he spoke run through my head once more. "When I was little...my mother asked my brother and I whether we wanted to live as humans...or as wolves. And that was all there was to it."

I could feel his eyes on me as he spoke again. "Why do you think you would be given a place in every world, just so that you could limit yourself to one?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N So I'm updating today. Happy New Years again! Surprise! I was really hyped to write this chapter, and I wanted to post on the "New Year" as soon as possible, mostly so people looking for fanfiction don't glance at the date later and go, "Oh, this hasn't been updated since last year!" Or something.


	8. Chapter 7: Similarities

Chapter 7: Similarities

"Because….because…" I shook my head again. "Because no one ever asked me if I wanted to be both! Because when I was both, I wasn't happy. I couldn't make friends at school, and I didn't know how to act around the animals. I didn't have someone to tell me _how_ to _be_ a wolf. But I did have someone to help me be a human, so that's what I am. That's all I've tried to be, for years. And until today, I've been _good_ at it, and...and...I've been happy. And there's nothing wrong with that...Right…?"

Iozen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "In the end, it seems that's for you to decide." I relaxed slightly, letting out some of the tension I hadn't realized was there. "Just know that when the Lord of the land returns, I'm sure that he'd welcome you here."

I was glad to have a new question to ask, to change the topic off of thoughts and questions that were hurting my head. "Who is this Lord?"

Iozen looked contemplative for a moment, and just as I was beginning to think he wasn't going to let the previous subject drop, he answered me. "He is a very powerful beast who is in charge of this land. There are many other lords that vary according to which town you live in."

"...There's more than one town?"

Iozen looked at me in amusement. "You didn't think that alley was the only entrance?" I blushed in response, and he attempted to hide a smile. "The world of Beasts is as large as the world of Humans. There are entrances everywhere, though some are harder to find than others. I haven't travelled very far, but even I have seen that there are beasts in other towns that are incredibly different from the ones here. There may even be other's like you."

The thought was shocking, to say the least. "Others…? But...my dad was the only one left."

"It could be that he was the only one as far as he knew...though I couldn't say for sure. The Lord is well versed in things like this, so we could ask him when he returns."

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"It could be days, or it could be weeks. He's never very specific."

I frowned a little. "He won't send a message or something?"

Iozen chuckled a little. "If he did, he would reach us before the message did. He's quite fast, even in his old age."

I didn't really understand, but I could only guess that the Lord was some sort of Cheetah.

I sighed. "It would be nice to know...but I have a lot to do back home. I can't stay here forever."

"You don't need to stay forever," Iozen stood, "But it's rather late. Why don't you stay here for the night, and we can show you how to get back and forth to Jutengai tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow…." It was late, and even if I did end up getting back to the alley I'd come through, it wasn't exactly close to my home. I bit my lip. "Thank you, but…" I glanced back toward the room Ichirohiko and I had argued in. "I'm not sure it would be a good idea."

Iozen glanced that way as well and sighed once more. "Don't worry. That outburst was very unusual. The topic is just…"

"Sensitive?"

He nodded, and while I wasn't going to ask anything more, he continued anyway. "You have the ability to choose who _and_ what you want to be. You asked that I imagine what the past was like for you..." He trailed off, seeming indecisive. He closed his eyes a moment, and when he opened them again he'd obviously made a decision, though there was a deep regret presented in those eyes. "You told me that you didn't hate wolves. But imagine that you did. You hate wolves, so you decide that you don't want to be one, and you live as a human instead."

I nodded for him to continue, not really sure what he was trying to tell me.

"Now imagine that you hate wolves….but when you discover you are one, you don't have the ability to change that."

I scowled in confusion before it dawned on me. _Now imagine that you hate humans, but…_ "You mean that he…? But why? How?" I hadn't meant to pry, but the curiosity got the better of me.

"It's my fault on every account. I'm sure you'll hear everything eventually, if you keep coming around, and I'd prefer if you heard it from my family...but it's much too long of a story for tonight. Just know that my son has had a difficult time."

"So I've been told…" I said softly.

He didn't breach the subject again, and for a bit the two of us stayed there in the quiet, just watching the stars. Anyone that happened by probably thought it to be a peaceful, relaxing sight….something to calm the mind and clear thoughts. But the truth was that while on some level it _was_ peaceful and relaxing, my mind was anything but calm. For maybe the thousandth time in the last few hours, my thoughts were racing. Endless questions that proved to have elusive answers.

About Iozen and what happened with his family.

About Jutengai and how my family never knew a place like this existed.

About beasts.

About wolves.

About humans.

About me.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Late into the night, I found myself staring at the white ceiling of the unfamiliar room.

Iozen had let me stay in the same room I'd woken up in. I'd never said I'd actually stay the night, but I knew trying to make my way home in the dark just wasn't going to go well.

Besides that, I was tired. Even knowing I was in the house of someone I hardly knew, I was almost eager to go to sleep. Though, with the excitement that had found its way into my life, I guess my mental fortitude could only last so long.

Which was why it was surprising, and a little frustrating, to find myself completely awake. I'd closed my eyes and tried every trick I could think of to get myself to sleep, but nothing was working. I kept trying to keep my mind blank, focusing on silly things, like how unused the room seemed, or how firm the mattress was.

But my head didn't agree with what I was trying to tell it, and instead the events of the day continued to replay, on and off, as I attempted to ignore them as soon as they started. Sadly, not only was this not working, but I was getting increasingly frustrated about it, which only served to wake me up more.

I eventually sighed deeply and gave up. Either I tried to keep it up and got no sleep, or I could try to sort through the mess in my head and maybe be able to sleep after. Maybe.

The first thought that came was unexpected. It was of my dad.

My mother had told stories of him, after he was gone. It was easy to recall the stories, of things they did together, of how they met. It was easy to close my eyes and see the picture still sitting in its place at home, and easy to remember nights when she'd sit there in front of it. Nights when I would sit there too.

I wasn't a very calm child, and it wasn't until I started school that I'd become more reserved. Yet there were still times, in between running around, where I'd stop and look at his face and think.

Sometimes I'd wonder what advice he could give us that we were going without…Especially when I had no idea what I was, what I wanted to be. I wanted him to show up and give me the answers that mom just didn't have.

And sometimes I'd wonder how different things would be if he were with us. Especially if it was a rough day, when I'd seen other children with their parents. Even most of the animals that lived nearby had two parents looking after them. It wasn't that I thought he'd do a better job than my mom, but wouldn't everything have been so much easier if he was there too? I know it would have been better for my mother, who missed him so much, but his children needed him too.

But most of the time, when I'd leave the house for school, and I would tell the small shrine, which had become the representation of my father, goodbye...I'd take a second to stare at his face, and take the details in. I'd press that image on top of the foggy figure in my mind, doing my best to remember my father.

In a way, I had thousands of memories of him. But at some point, it became impossible to differentiate between what was something that I remembered, and something that my mom had told me so many times I'd just pressed it into my mind.

Mom had told the story about the day she found out dad was a wolf. How he'd changed in front of her, and that it didn't change how she felt about him. A part of me always thought of how romantic it was, and that, one day, I'd be in love, and something similar might happen.

Well, something similar did happen, but much sooner than the little girl I was had imagined. When I showed Souhei what I was, he didn't react badly at all. And at that moment, when all was done and it hadn't made him think less of me...I really believed he would be who I'd end up with. But while the event was very special, I was a child. And children grow out of crushes.

Maybe it would be lying to say I'd never thought about it after that, but...when we got older, we ended up in different schools, and though we've kept in contact over the years, it seems like we'll only ever be close friends.

And even though I'd been on dates here and there, I hadn't shown the wolf half to anyone else.

Until I showed it to several people in the last few hours, anyway.

But my father, as far as my mother knew, had never gotten very close to anyone besides her where they lived before. Not more than occasionally going out with coworkers, at least.

And they definitely didn't know his secret.

In a way, he was like me.

But in another, he was entirely different. From what I knew, he was who Iozen should have met. My dad lived with my mom as a human, but he also let himself be a wolf. And he was happy that way.

But he'd died as a wolf.

Maybe, if he hadn't been trying to be two different things at once, he would still be around. And maybe that's why mom never gave us that option. Maybe she was afraid something like that would happen to us.

Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. But with only one person to base the statistics on, I couldn't really blame her. Besides, in the end, it didn't really matter that there was a way to be both. Neither of her children had been indecisive about what to be.

He made his choice.

I made mine.


End file.
